Apparatus for making printing-plates.



J. H. TRYON & G. A. GROTZ.

APPARATUS T012. MAKING PRINTING PLATES.

'APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 6, 1914.

Patented June 23, 19M.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. H. TRYON a; C. AGROTZ.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING PRINTING PLATES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.6,1914.

Patented June 23, 1914.

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4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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-W/TNESSES B Y au@ @4% .4 UUR/VE Y J. H. TRYON 6L C. A. GROTZ.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING PRINTING PLATES, AP1 LIGAT10N FILED MAR. e, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES J. H. TRYON L C. A. GRTZ. APPARATUS FOR MAKING PRINTING PLATES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. eA 1914.

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4 SHEETS SHEET/1. l

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE- JosEPH H. TnYoN, or GLEN RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, Nn CHARLES man, NEW ironic A. GROTZ, 6F OZONE APPARATUS FOR MAKING PRINTING-PLATES.

Specification of Letters Patent. y

Patented June 23, 1914.

application mea March s, 1914. serial No. 822,865.

dent of Ozone Park, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have jointly invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Making Printing- Plates, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of the same. j

This invention relates to means for making a printing plate with a plurality of printing surfaces, properly spaced from each other, and so arranged that a reading may be taken of the adjusting mechanism for spacing the printing surfaces one from the other to the end that at any future time with the record reading before an operator a particular printing plate may be reproduced Without a lay out sheet or other preliminary work.

It further relates to means for forming a printing plate directly from a relief surface without transfers; further to a definite correlation between that portion of the printing plate to be brought over the original relief printing surfaceand the index mechanisin.

Our invention further relates to certain details of construct-ion which will be more fully hereinafter set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

Our improved method for making printing plates is described and claimed in our companion application, filed of even date herewith, Serial No. 822,864.

In the accompanying drawings, which show illustrative embodiments of our invention and in which the same reference numerals refer to similar parts in the several figures, Figure l is a horizontal section substantially on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a vertical section substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on line 3 3 of Fig. l and Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig, 4 is an enlarged detail plan View of a portion of the adjusting and scale mechanism; Fig. 5 is a vertical section substantially on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 'is an `end View 'of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a detail View partly broken away of the mechanism shown in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale through the platen and head of the press the printing plate; Fig. 10 is a plan view broken away of the frame carrying the printing plate showing one means .of holding it; Fig. 11 is a vertical section on the line Il ll of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a plan View of one of the complete printing plates showing the proper spacing of the printing surfaces.

In our improved apparatus herein set forth we obtain printing plates 1, Fig, 12 having a. plurality of printing surfaces 2 2 properly spaced from each other and each printing surface 2 being obtained directly, without transfer, from a relief printing surface 3, F igs. 9 and l. These relief surfaces -may be ordinary type, wood cuts, etchings or other printing surfaces, but preferably they are the ordinary half-tone plates made by the ordinary photo-engraving process. rIhe printing surfaces 2, 2 may be from different relief printing surfaces, though generally they would be duplicates of one original. The printing plates 1 may be of any suitable material, pi'e erably of some metal such as zinc or aluminum, and of any suitable size. To obtain an economical run from the least number of separate impressions in the offset or other lpress, we preferably make these printing p ates 1 of approximately 38 by 44 inches so that they will each take a plurality of printing surfaces 2. When zinc or aluminum is used, we preferably employ the commercial plate of about one-hundredths of an inch in thickness so that they can be readily bent around the printing roller of the ordinary offset hand, power, or other press. The surface of these plates may be smooth but preferably they are slightly grained to give them a tooth to hold the ink when making the impressions or printing surfaces2directly on the plate l from the relief printing surface. The distances 4 4, Fig. 12, between the rinting surfaces 2 2 will vary with the di'erent jobs depending upon the particular margins, which are to appear around each completed print or lithograph. One of the features of our invenshowing the mannerof forming tion is to accurately position each printing surface 2 with relation to each other. We are enabled to obtain accurate positions to one-thousandths of an inch so that when the plates 1 are used to make colored lithographs, different colors will absolutely register in their proper positions 1n the completed lithograph. In addition to this, lthe operator is enabled to preserve a reading-,tor any and all printing plates 1 so that it at any future time, it ris desired to reproduce an identical plate 1 lia-ving the identical spacing, between the printing surfaces 2, 2, it can be done by the aid of the old recorded and filed reading and without making a new layout sheet. n

The printing sheet 1 of zinc, aluminum or other metal is carried by a frame 5 pivoted at 6 upon adjustable supports 7, which in turn are adapted to slide upon a transverse bar 8 and are provided with a screwthreaded portion 9 to coperate with the screw 10. These printing plates 1 are held on the frame 5 inimovably in any suitable manner such as-by the lingers 11 pivoted at 12, Fig. 10.

'lo obtain the best results, that portion of the printing plate 1 which is for the moment to receive its impression from the relief surface of the half-tone or other plate 3 must be brought directly over the center 13, Fig. 1, of the press 14, and over the half-tone plate 3 which has been previously secured to the center of Jthe bed 15, Fig. 1.

A liat piece of steel or other hard substance 16 is placed over that portion of the printing plate 1 which is to be subjected to the half-tone late to prevent its becoming embossed. ver this steel plate some resilient member is placed such as'a rubber pad 17. The platen 18 of the press 14 may contact directly with the rubber pad 17 or may contact with an interposed sheet of pasteboard or woo-d 19. Hydraulic pressure is then admitted through the pipe 20 into the cylinder 21, forcing the platen 18 down so as to obtain the requisite pressure to permit the relief surface of the plate 3 to print directly, without the aid of transfers, upon that portion of the printing plate 1, which happens for the moment to be in contact with the original plate 3. The degree of pressure will vary with the particular job. We have obtained perfect results with pressures of 2 to 12 tons but it is to be understood that pressures below and above this may be used depending'upon the particular work to be reproduced. The particular pressure is indicated on the dial 22 so that that pressure can be noted on a guide card or other record for the particular job. As soon as the impression has been made the pres'- sure is relieved when the springs 23, 23 carried by the I-beam 24 and attached at their other ends to the platen 18 will retract or incomes lift the platen and permit the bed 15 to be moved on its rails 25, 25 by means of the rack 26- and the pinion 27 so as to move the entire bed, together with the pivoted frame 5 and printing plate 1 and the adjusting mechanism, free of the hydraulic press 14. This will permit the pivoted frame 5 to be swung up on its pivots 6, 6 so that the relief printing member 3 may be reinked. The pivoted frame 5 is then readjusted so as to make the second printing surface 2 from the same or a different relief printing surface 3. The degree of movement of the pivoted frame 5 is controlled by transverse and longitudinal means to permit accurate adjustment in both directions of one-thousandtlis of an inch, which adjustments are noted and can be recorded in suit-able indexes or files.

To adjust the printing plate 1 to make the second printing surface 2, Fig. 1, the printing frame 5 is for example, moved transversely to the rails d25 by quickly rotating the screw l() to approximately its position for the next impression. The handle 28, Fig. 4, having a non-circular opening 29 to receive the non-circular end 30 of the screw 10 may be used for this purpose. The screw 10 may be provided with ten threads to the inch and with a pinion 31 provided with a dial 32. The pinion 31 meshes with a smaller pinion 33 'provided with a pointer 34, which cooperates with a dial 35 carried by the member 8. It is clear from the mechanism described that a micrometer adjustment can be obtained to one-thousandths of an inch, the final adjustments being preferably made by operating the knurled end 36 of the screw 10. The reading in inches is obtained by the scale upon the member 8 the tenths being the number of complete rotations of the pinion 33 which must be counted, the hundredths of an inch are obtained from the indicator 37 carried by the member 8 coperating with the dial 31, and the thousandths of an inch by the pointer 34 cooperating with the dial 35. The longitudinal adjustment is obtained substantially by similar means, the longitudinally extending screws 38 and 39, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, cooperating with the screwthreaded members 40, Fig. 5, carried by the transverse scale member 8. We preferably provide a dovetail connection between the members 7 and 8.

The longitudinally extending scale members 41 and 42 are carried by the bed 15, and one or both of them are provided 'with a scale 43, Fig. 4, and each carry a bearing 44, Fig. 2, for the longitudinally adjusting screws 38, 39. The other ends of these screws are suitably secured in the bed 15 to prevent longitudinal' movement with relation to it. The screw 39 is provided with a sprocket 45, Figs. 1 and 4 and the screw 38 with a sprocket 46 the two sprockets being connected by a sprocket chain 47 which insures the two screws 38 and 39 rotating in unison. Or, other connecting mechanism may be used.

To obtain a longitudinal adjustment of the pivoted frame 5 carrying the printing plate 1, the screw 38 is operated quickly 1n any suitable manner, for instance, by the handle 38 coperating with the non-circular end 48 of the screw. The {inal adjustment can be made by operating the screw through the knurled portion 49. These screws 38 and 39 are also provided with screw threads ten to the inch and with a pinion 50 similar to the pinion 31 having a dial 56 to coperate with the index finger 51 and with teeth to operate a smaller pinion 52 having a pointer 53 to coperate with a dial 54 carried by the support 55 secured to the member 41. It is obvious that with these longitudinally extending screws 38 and 39 a longitudinal adjustment may be made to one-thousandths of an inch, the same as the transverse adjustment and that the dials and pointers will indicate the adjustment in the same manner. As each final adjustment is made for each printing surface 2 the readings may be taken from the scale 8 for inches and the dials 32 and 35 for the transverse adjustment the tenths of an inch being noted by the number of the complete revolutions of the dial 32, the hundredths of an inch by its last partial revolution and the thousandths by the dial 35 and pointer 34. The scale 43 and dials 56 and 54 will in like manner give the longitudinal adjustment within one thousandths of an inch. A record of these adjustments properly noted willl permit the printing plate 1 to be duplicated at any future time when the printing surfaces 2, 2 will be spaced exactly as in the originall plate 1 .should this plate become lost, destroyed or worn out by excessive use or otherwise become defective without the labor of making a new layout sheet.

We have shown in Fig. 1 the pivoted frame 5 with the printing plate 1 at one extreme position. It is clear, therefore, that the uprights 57, 57 of the press 14 have to be widely spaced to give a wide clearance to accommodate the different ext-reme transverse movements of the printing plate 1. The hydraulic press may be formed in any suitable manner, asfor example with the heavy I- beams 58 resting upon the cross bars 59. Other heavy 1-beams 61-61 may be mounted between the platen and the base 62. The details of the hydraulic press are immaterial provided it has the wide clearance between the uprights 57, 57 and is of suiiicient strength and rigidity to transmit the wide range of pressures necessary for the successful operation of our device.

While one printing plate 1 is suiiicient for black and white work, ordinarily our apparatus will be used to form printing plates to make colored lithographs. For each picture or colored lithograph, there will be sets of two or more printing plates l corresponding to the colors required to make the picture or design. Where the run is expected to be large there will be an additional printing plate 1 formed from a black photo-engraved plate, in which case there will be four printing plates 1 for each colored lithograph. Four printing plates may also be used on short runs These plates 1 are preferably printed upon zinc or aluminum plates which are slightly grained, that they may have a tooth to hold the ink. This graining may be made coarser by chemical means as well known in the art after the sheets 1 have taken the impression from the relief plate 3. The sheets 1 are then put in a hand or power offset press, being preferably put around a printing cylinder and water and their respective colored inks are supplied in proper quantities for them to print their own particular colors, the complete lithograph being made up of imprints from the three or four plates 1, one for each of the primary colors, yellow, red and blue, and black, if that is used.

By printing directly upon the sheets 1 without the intermediate steps due to the ordinary transfer we are enabled to reproduce in a lithograph and on cheap and rough paper beautiful reproductions with all the details and characteristics of the original which are now lost by the ordinary transfer process. Moreover, by having the printing plate 1 of such a size as to receive a large number of original impressions from the original half-tone plate and further insuring that each color will be laid down upon the completed lithograph in its exact position, we make a large saving in the cost of the lithograph, and while making a far better product than under the old method we save the expense of lithographie artists to touch up and correct, as far as they can the transfers, and also save the expense of lithographic transferers.

The printing surfaces 2, 2 may be from the same original relief printing plate or from different relief printing plates 1 as desired, it not being essential that all the printing surfaces 2 on any one printing plate 1 be duplicates though in practice such ordinarily would be the case. We may also use an overlay 64 preferably under the rubber pad or sheet 17 and next to the steel plate 16. An ordinary underlay 65 may also be used in some cases under the relief printing plate 3. These overlays 64 and underlays 65 would only be used in exceptional cases and, of course, may be omitted without in any manner affecting our invention.

Having thus described this invention in connection with illustrative embodiments thereof, to the details of which we do not desire to be limited, what is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim- 1. In anapparatus for making printing plates the combination of a printing press having a movable bed, a pivoted printing plate frame carried b the bed, and means to adjust the pivoted rame in a plurality of directions with relation to the bed.

2. In an apparatus for making printing plates the combination of a printing press having a movable bed, a printing plate frame carried by the bed, means to move it in a plurality of directions to var the relation of the frame to the press, an means to accurately indicate its ositions.

3. In an apparatus or making printing Elates the combination of a printmg press aving a movable bed, a pivoted printing plate frame carried by the bed, means to move it in a plurality of directions to vary the relation of the frame to the press, and means to accurately indicate its positions.

4. In an apparatus for making printing` 5.- In an apparatus formakingiprinting plates the combination of a printing press,

havinga movable bed, a printing plate frame, means to move the frame transversely tothe press, meansto move the frame long1- tudin'ally of the press, one of said means carried 'by the other and both of said means carried by the bed, and index mechanism cooperatlng with each of saidv means to act curately indicate the relative positions of the frame and press'.

JOSEPH H. TRYON.

CHAS. A. GROTZ. Witnesses:

ALAN M. JoHNsoN, MARGARET WALSH. 

